Unsere Regeln! » The Falcons have been fortunate enough to transition fro

m one franchise great to another here." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteThe Falcoholican Atlanta Falcons communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsLibraryFalconsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Library FalcFans Podcast on The FalcoholicContact The FalcoholicFalcons StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Falcons NewsYahoo Falcons Team PageYahoo Falcons ReportYahoo Falcons Depth ChartYahoo Falcons TransactionsYahoo Falcons PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕The evolution of the Falcons WR position Youth Deion Sanders Jersey , 2008-2018New,7commentsThe Falcons have been fortunate enough to transition from one franchise great to another here. EDTShareTweetShareShareThe evolution of the Falcons WR position, 2008-2018Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty ImagesIn putting together this series, I’ve been fortunate enough to start with positions of relative stability and greatness for these Atlanta Falcons, and that continues today. Soon enough we’ll be into the more depressing realities of, say, the guard position or defensive end, but for now I’m enjoying basking in some truly great memories. So wide receiver! When Thomas Dimitroff and Mike Smith rode into town in 2008, they were fortunate enough to have one great receiver already in the fold, though I don’t think many appreciated just how good Roddy White would become after his breakout season in 2007. They also had a rangy deep threat in Michael Jenkins and a solid contributor in Harry Douglas, and they did ride that group to some early success. It’s what the front office has done with the position since that’s truly remarkable, though, as they’ve replaced that group of three with the current day trio of Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Calvin Ridley, somehow. Let’s take a closer look at how the position has evolved over the last decade-plus. Falcons WR EvolutionYearWR1WR2WR3WR4WR5WR6YearWR1WR2WR3WR4WR5WR6The team has enjoyed remarkable (even borderline miraculous) greatness and stability at their top two spots. Roddy White is a future Ring of Honor inductee and one of the greatest receivers ever to suit up for the franchise Stitched Steve Bartkowski Jersey , and his running mate Michael Jenkins was a solid #2 for a few seasons early on in Matt Ryan’s run. He gave way to Julio Jones, who will go down as the team’s greatest receiver ever and who eventually supplanted Roddy as the top dog in this offense. The #2 gig then went to Mohamed Sanu, who has enjoyed a three year run of consistent production and stellar passing, and he’ll in turn pass that torch to Calvin Ridley, who just had perhaps the best rookie season by a Falcons receiver ever and could someday supplant Julio as the top dog in the offense. The Falcons have done plenty of things wrong over the last decade plus, but when you talk about stocking the team with QBs, RBs and WRs, they’ve been as good as any franchise in football.Things are a little more unsettled past the top guys, as you’d anticipate, but that #3 spot was in the hands of the same guy for seven seasons. Harry Douglas was polarizing during his entire run in Atlanta and remains polarizing now, but he did lock down his gig and provide solid production in largely run-first offenses for years and years. His complete lack of red zone production looks especially hilarious in light of how much flack Julio Jones gets for his scoring output—Douglas managed eight touchdowns in seven years—but the Falcons have always prioritized quality blocking and hands from their third guys, and Douglas did deliver that. He was followed by Leonard Hankerson, then speedy Taylor Gabriel, and then by Ridley, who should be considered the #2 guy this year in production and role if not in name. Past that Youth Steve Bartkowski Jersey , it’s been a grab bag of guys and roles, with special teamers like Devin Hester, Andrea Roberts and Eric Weems earning multi-year runs, tryouts for size and speed guys like Kevin Cone, and the occasional ultra scrappy Nick Williams sighting. The team is always churning the bottom of the depth chart here in search of interesting players, but Justin Hardy has managed to carve out a role over the last four years as the fourth receiver in name because of his hands and blocking ability, and he’ll be here for at least one more season in that role. Hopefully Marcus Green and Russell Gage can show enough to do the same, lending more stability to the corps.Overall, though, the Falcons have trotted out a consistently good-to-great group of receivers since 2008, and the 2019 group looks like it’ll be one of their best yet. Calvin Ridley set a Falcons rookie record with three touchdown receptions among a bunch of big plays 鈥?in a bittersweet afternoon for the young wide receiver.After barely factoring in Atlanta’s first two games, he was targeted a team-high eight times, caught a team-best seven passes and registered a game-high 146 yards. It wasn’t enough, though, because Drew Brees‘s half-yard sneak pushed the New Orleans Saints to a 43-37 overtime victory Sunday.That left the first-round draft choice less happy to talk about his scoring plays of 18 Stitched Brett Favre Jersey , 75 and 9 yards.“I’d really rather have the win, but it means a lot,” Ridley said after lighting up the Saints. “It feels pretty good.”Ridley didn’t have a catch in Atlanta’s opening game, an 18-12 loss at Phildelphia on Sept. 6.He had four receptions in a 31-24 win over the Panthers a week ago.On Sunday, he was busy from the jump.He lined up in the backfield on Atlanta’s first offensive snap and later in the game as well, and also ran three reverses. Two were wiped out by penalties, leaving him with a carry for 9 yards.All of his catches counted and the Saints struggled to figure out a way to slow him, especially in the first half when he had five receptions for 129 yards and two scores.On the first, he beat embattled New Orleans cornerback P.J. Williams to catch an 18-yard touchdown in the right corner of the end zone. Ridley beat Williams for an 11-yard catch to start the Falcons’ next possession. Shortly before halftime, he blew past Williams on a 75-yard scoring play.After hauling in the long pass from Matt Ryan, he easily outran Saints safety Marcus Williams to the end zone.Ridley said he wasn’t necessarily looking to be matched up on Williams, and that play was nothing special.“I just came in ready for anybody. I was prepared. I was ready to help the team win,” he explained. “(It was) just a go ball, run deep. … I’m just getting comfortable, confident.”Atlanta star wide receiver Julio Jones Youth Brett Favre Jersey , who has had a franchise-record 40 games with 100 or more receiving yards, didn’t seem surprised that Ridley riddled the Saints for his first. They both played at Alabama.“I knew it all along,” Jones said after catching five passes for 96 yards. “He’s a great player. Let him make plays. He made some great plays for us today.”Ridley’s best play might have come early in the third quarter, when Ryan scrambled left on second-and-goal from the New Orleans 9-yard line.By that time, the Saints had subbed cornerback Ken Crawley for Williams, who had decent coverage on Ridley in the end zone. When the play broke down, though, Crawley was caught looking at Ryan, and the rookie receiver broke behind left behind the cornerback and the quarterback found him for a score.With 12 minutes left in the third quarter, Atlanta led 21-16.“I thought Calvin played really well,” Ryan said after completing 26 of 35 passes for 374 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes. “He stepped up when he had the opportunity to. It was clear from the start it was two guys to account for Julio. That leaves Calvin singled up in 1-on-1 coverage. … Today was special.”But, even greater for Ridley if the Falcons pulled out a win.“We knew it was going to be a high-scoring game coming in,” Ridley said. “We’ve just got to be better next time.”___